The guest post today is by Shelley Cadamy is currently the Business & Entrepreneurial Services Coordinator for Francis Tuttle Technology Center. She assists start-up as well as existing small businesses in strategy development and implementation.
About a year ago, I fell into being a “social media expert.” I use the quotes, because I’m really not convinced there are all that many actual social media experts out there, and I’m certainly not one of them. As a small business strategist, one of the things I assist my clients with is creating quick and dirty marketing plans. As such, I created a seminar on how my clients could effectively use social media tools in their marketing. It was wildly successful (one client picked up three new customers the first three days they were on Twitter), and the one seminar I expected to do turned into about thirty seminars and counting. Unfortunately, when I get introduced, to my chagrin, it’s as a “social media expert,” which I quickly correct, after much cringing.
Having said that, I’m amazed at how many people are more than happy to promote themselves as “social media experts.” Every third twitter follow I get is from some IT guy who may have difficulty with interpersonal communication, but is now a social media expert. Or an HR Director who believes that since he is successful at using social media in his HR position, that he is also qualified to do social media on behalf of other people. Or an accountant who is on Facebook and Twitter 24/7 and thus, must be a social media expert and believes himself completely qualified to do social media on behalf of you or your company.
When it comes right down to it, social media is a marketing tactic, and just like old school marketing tactics – direct mail, TV & Radio advertising, print advertising, etc. – lots and lots of difficult homework must be completed before they’re ever employed on behalf of your company. They must be used as part of an overall marketing strategy that makes sense for your company, your market, and your resources. Those marketing plans are not easy to create, and the reason they’re not easy to create is because they take actual marketing knowledge and understanding to craft – something which marketing professionals have plenty of and something of which IT guys, accountants, and HR professionals are generally fresh out.
If you’re a small business owner, do you know who your market is and why? Do you know what they want? Do you know what your message to your market should be? Then and only then should you be getting your message out to that market via social media or any other media. If you don’t have the answers to these questions, please find a marketing professional to help you find them and to help you implement the resulting plan. If you choose to hire someone to assist specifically with your social marketing as well, please ensure that he or she is also a marketing professional. You wouldn’t hire a marketing professional to manage your EEO claims – please don’t hire an HR professional to do your marketing.
Related articles by Zemanta
- 8 biggest mistakes made in social media (lansner.freedomblogging.com)
- Why Are We Failing To Help Small Business Understand Social Media? (thecustomercollective.com)
- Profit Specialist (slideshare.net)
- Get ready for lots of small IPOs (vator.tv)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=fc8fa6d5-a934-49e1-bd6d-346bba30c7a9)
Shelley and Kyle:
As a 20+-year marketing veteran who has thrown herself in to the study and use of Social Media these past 14 months, I agree completely with you. Social Media are powerful tactics that can be chosen once the message, targets and goals have been decided. It's not too late if companies and individual brands have already spent time using Social Media without purpose. Just step back a few steps, ask for a little help, and go back at it with even more purpose and focus.
Ahh…the socially challenged who are now calling themselves "social media experts"! Thank you for being so knowledgeable and humble!
Thanks for your comments. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. I'm following you on twitter!
Thank you! Glad it was worth your time.
What is your advice for a young music industry professional with a marketing/management degree and a desire to help bands through social media and web marketing? I thought learning as much as I could to eventually become a "social media expert" was a good idea – what now?
First, I think you have to decide for yourself what's right for you. Having said that, I think if you have an understanding of marketing, which I hope your degree has given you, assisting bands with their web marketing is perfectly appropriate.
On a side note, my brother is a jazz guitarist. Love to see stay in touch just in case you can help him out down the line!
[...] Integrate Social Media into Your Marketing Strategy (kylelacy.com) [...]
[...] Integrate Social Media into Your Marketing Strategy (kylelacy.com) [...]
[...] Integrate Social Media into Your Marketing Strategy (kylelacy.com) [...]
[...] Integrate Social Media into Your Marketing Strategy (kylelacy.com) [...]
[...] Integrate Social Media into Your Marketing Strategy (kylelacy.com) [...]
[...] Integrate Social Media into Your Marketing Strategy (kylelacy.com) [...]
[...] Integrate Social Media into Your Marketing Strategy (kylelacy.com) [...]
[...] Integrate Social Media into Your Marketing Strategy (kylelacy.com) [...]